This invention relates to an apparatus for trapping submarine animals, and in particular relates to an apparatus for trapping submarine crustaceans in their natural environment.
Crustacean traps are well known to the experienced fisherman. The normal device for trapping crustaceans comprises a housing having an enclosed cavity therein and an aperture communicating through the housing and into the cavity for allowing the entry of the crustaceans. The normal traps have a device within the cavity which holds bait such as fish parts or meat, and also a labyrinth or barrier having an aperture therethrough which traps the crustaceans within the cavity either during their search for the bait or after they have consumed the bait. The most common type of crustacean trap allows the lobster, crab or other crustacean to enter the cavity by means of an externally opening aperture through the housing. The crustacean is routed to the bait by tunnels which communicate with the externally opening apertures. After the crustacean consumes the bait, it buoyantly floats toward the top of the cavity, through an internal aperture and into a second portion of the internal cavity. This internal aperture is specially designed to act as a one-way gate where the crustaceans may easily pass upwardly therethrough but which inhibits the passage of the crustacean in the downward or outward direction. Therefore, the crustaceans are trapped in the upward portion of the cavity. The trap may be removed from the water and the crustaceans therein may be removed by way of a door communicating into the upper portion of the cavity.
While these traps are quite common, their disadvantages are also well known. Generally these traps are quite heavy and bulky because they are permanently formed of steel or aluminum mesh. Since the traps are preformed into a cubicle shape it is very difficult to store a large number of these traps on the decks of a ship. It is often necessary to remove a large number of these traps from one fishing area and transport them to a new, more promising fishing area. This requires the storage of a large number of the traps upon the deck of a ship. Due to the large size and weight of the normal traps only a limited number can be transported in this manner. This forces the ship to make several unnecessary trips.
This invention concerns a crustacean trap having a plurality of wire or extruded polyethylene plastic mesh panels interconnected by a plurality of hinges adapted to allow the panels to fold within the internal cavity and thereby collapse the otherwise bulky crustacean trap. In this manner, a large number of traps may be collapsed and stored upon the deck of a ship. This increase in transportation efficiency will allow the fisherman to move more quickly to better fishing grounds and thereby increase the probability of catching more crustaceans.